if i had a million dollars...

...I would invest in some of the other entrepreneurs who presented along side us in the Slow Money showcase. (If you are interested you can watch our pitch here.)

Slow Money is all about investing money at home. And you don't just get a monetary return on your investment, you take part in creating the kind of place you want to live and play in. It's about thinking long term, and investing in businesses that don't just take, but give back. To the community and the soil.

Here's a few of my favorites. If anything, we need people doing similar projects right here in Arizona.  

1. Salume Beddu. The guy that started this company trained with Mario Batali. It was just one of the many presentations that made me drool. Who doesn't love artisan Salume? 

2. Fermented sauerkraut is completely different from the pickled stuff. And it's much better for you--all that good bacteria. There were two companies doing some great work in fermentation: Zuke in CO and Farmhouse Culture in CA.

3. Recipe food boxes from Out of the Box Collective  in L.A.. It's like a CSA meets menu planning.  I think this is perfect for a busy family who still wants to eat healthy home-cooked dinners.  And I love the holiday themed boxes. 

4. Sea to Table. I loved this one because it is so confusing buying fish at the grocery store. If you know just a little bit about over fishing, buying a fillet of salmon can cause some serious anxiety. This business proposes to get you the freshest and most sustainably caught fish. 

5. We presented right after Paul Schwennesen from Double Check Ranch. Another AZ business. And it was a hard act to follow. Paul's looking to converse land in the West by ranching on it. So more delicious grass fed beef and more open land. Good idea, right?

6. Kitchen Coop. Here's one that small food producers in AZ would love to see in their own backyard. A shared commercial kitchen space and packing facility. 

7. Revision International. This group is working to combat the food deserts in Denver. They are working with communities to grow their own food. Reminds me of the good work that IRC is doing in Phoenix. 

8. St Benoit Creamery in CA. This French style yogurt comes in the most beautiful ceramic cup which can be returned and re-used by the creamery. The passion and craft that goes into this product is inspiring. 

Luckily you don't need an extra million dollars to invest in these businesses. Of the $25 million invested in Slow Money businesses so far, most of them have been smaller investments from many indvidual investors. 

And for those that have been asking about the prize....

We were absolutely delighted to receive the People's Choice award. It was a generous donation from Slow Money conference attendees and matched by Jannie Hoffman of Mamma Chia.  So thank you to all those who voted for us on Facebook and at the conference. 

anatomy of a seed

Marco took these beautiful close-up shots of the White Sonora. And we noticed some things that we couldn't see with the naked eye.

For one, wheat is fuzzy.

Every grain is surrounded by silky strands, that form a little tuft of hair at one end.After some reading, I learned that this is called the  'brush end' the of the grain. And the little hairs act like straws and pull water around the growing grain.

There is one grain in each spiklet. And you can see from the 2nd and 4th pictures that those are fuzzy too. The 3rd picture is of the stalk. And you can see the individual veins that pull water from the ground to the wheat head- almost 1 meter up.

The grain is still green. Just coming out of its soft 'milk stage'. All it needs is a few more weeks in the field and it will be ready to harvest. 

break bread together

(Pictured: Marco Bianco's famous country loaf. We know someone who drives an hour, just to get a slice of his bread!)

Did you know that we started the mill because we were on a hunt for really good bread flour?  

As we've delved into the diversity of grains, the mill has grown beyond just bread flour. We've discovered colorful old-world corns, whole grains delicacies like farro, and my personal favorite-golden semolinas for pasta. 

But sometimes it's good to get back to our roots. Remember where we started and enjoy a good loaf of bread as it should be enjoyed; around the table with family and friends. 

se

***Update: The results are in! Hayden Flour Mills came home from the Slow Money gathering with the People's Choice award. We are thrilled that so many people were excited about our home-state grain movement. 

So here's the story. Our work has been nominated to receive national recognition! We are in the running to be named Entrepreneur of the Year at the upcoming Slow Money National Gathering. The winner will be chosen by a combination of jury selection, voting at the event and popular vote online. That's where you come in. You can help us win this award, which includes a cash prize of $50,000 to be invested in our sustainable business.

You all have helped us get this far. With more than 50 acres of heritage and ancient grains in productionn locally, we are already way beyond what we every dreamed of. It wasn't too long ago that we were milling whatever wheat we could find in our garage. 

But, now we have an opportunity to grow and establish a long-lasting local grain economy in our beautiful state. 

Slow Money is all about investing moeny in projects that are good for the community and the land. 

If you think Arizona is a better place with locally grown heritage grains give us your vote!

Click here to vote. It's easy. And you can vote every day. 

If you don't have Facebook, vote here.

white sonora pepper crackers

White Sonora Pepper Crackers

1 1/2 cups Whole Wheat White Sonora Flour

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 cup warm water

1/4 cup olive oil

1. Mix flour and salt together. Then add the olive oil and warm water. 

2. Knead the dough together with your hands for 5 minutes, or until the dough comes together in a ball. 

3. Lightly oil the ball of dough and wrap it in plastic wrap. Set aside for 30 minutes at room temperature. 

4. While you are resting your dough, pre-heat the oven to 450 F. 

5. After the dough has rested, unwrap and divide in to two pieces. Use a rolling pin to flatten the dough into a thin sheet. Cut into whatever shape you like. Then place onto a cookie sheet lines with parchment paper. Cook for 8-10 minutes. Until they are a rich golden color. 

farro fricos

These are the easiest fake-it-till-you-make-it appetizers. Best when served with a glass of wine on a Friday afternoon.

Farro Fricos

Makes 5 Fricos

• 1 cup Parmigiano-Reggiano, coarsely grated (use largest hole size of grater)
• 1 tablespoon Farro flour
• 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
• 4 sliced green pimento stuffed olives

Preheat the oven to 375° F. Stir together, cheese, flour, pepper and olives. Place mounds of mix on Silpat liner. Flatten each mound. Bake in middle of over until golden brown--approximately 10 minutes. Cool for a few minutes. Use a spatula to transfer as Fricos are fragile.

markets

It's Spring in Phoenix. That means it's perfect market weather. And there are so many good markets happening in the Valley. 

Besides getting up early and beating the afternoon heat, one of the reasons we love doing farmer's market is YOU. We love hearing how you used our flour (and we really love it when you let us sample your creations). We love learning what we can do better and what we should be milling more of. We love getting to tell you our story and hearing yours. 

Here's where you'll find us on Saturday mornings. 

1. Old Town Farmer's Market, Saturdays from 8am-1pm

2. Gilbert Farmer's Market, Saturdays 8am-12pm

3. Central Farmer's Market, Saturdays 9am-1pm

Let us know if you'd like us to be at your neighborhood market!

toasted walnut and fig wheat berry salad

Did you know that White Sonora was the first wheat to come to North America? It was brought over by Jesuit missionaries that were sent to the new world.  That's why it is sometimes called Father Kino's wheat.  So not only are these wheat berries nutty and chewy and versatile, they are part of our history. We like to call it edible history.

Here's an easy way to use White Sonora Berries into a cold salad. 

Click to read more ...

grain school #2

The best thing about being part of the Heritage Grain Coalition is Grain School at Native Seeds/SEARCH. People come from all over the country and state to learn how they can start grain movements in their communities. We heard from bakers, growers, anthropologists, and most importantly we feasted on local grains every day at lunch.

We did a milling demo and even pulled out the metates to try milling flour by hand. 

A glimpse of Grain School below:

wedding wheat

Since starting this business two years ago, grains and local foods have become a way of life in my family. So it was natural that they were woven throughout my wedding. 

(Photo Credit Mike Olbinski) 

I gathered my bouquet of White Sonora during this summer's harvest. 

Robbie Tutlewski from Pane Bianco made a rustic Italian feast. He has such an understated talent with flavors. It was incredible and a simple reflection of the ingredients that surround us.  All I know is that he started preparing the pork for five days before the wedding and that I am indebted to him for the rest of my life. 

Marco Bianco sculpted loaves into wheat so they could be easily broken and shared at each table. 

The Brat Haus made smaller versions of their house pretzels using our flour. I heard that they were amazing but I never got to taste one myself. 

My cousin Jason made a special brew using White Sonora Wheat.  I did get a glass of this amazing beer and I think my cousin needs to start a brewery.

And my talented aunt designed all these wheat and fall vegetable centerpieces which made the tables look like renaissance still lifes.

And my dad gave an eloquent speech about the Supper of the Lamb and the symbolism of the wedding feast.

It was a perfect day (well me and my husband thought so) and we were so blessed by so many talented friends and family.